The Irish standard., 1887-07-16
LIFE OF CAAS. j. KiCKHAM.
His Early Education and Eager Desire
for knowledge and a Thorough Love
Of Native Literature.
PATRIOT, POET AND NOVELIST.
It was as the Irish Novelist that Kickham
Ezcelled---His True Descriptions Of
Irish life and Character.
BY +. r. MEAGHER.
u u j -s111.h VI II '1't'
He is dead p and the heart of the nation

He is dead =: and the heart of the nation
Pulses with passionate pain,
Because Of the harp he will waken
Never again
It is more than Twenty golden years
ago. since I first stood upon the crest
OF SLAB -na-Bhan--a bright, sunshiny
day in early autumn, with the yellow
corn waving it's heavy ears that dropped
under the weight Of their rich yield
ready for the sickle. Below at my feet
nestled the little village OF Kilcash, and
the golden vein' stretched away from
east TO west as far as the eye could
scan.
The scene was one worthy Of the pen
Gil Of Corregio.
And, as ] gazed. the historic memo
ries Of the old hill flashed back upon my
mind. a few centuries past, Cromwell
standing upon it's slopes, declared the
country to be ''ws3rtli fighting for and
accordingly Oliver did fight for it, and
finally wrcsted it from the Old Celtic
race that had their homes ben cath its
shadow. It's '99 associations came
blended with nearer memories Of 48--
the <stime iv the hill''-when Thomas
Francis Meagher declared himself will
ing to hold it against all the lnercenary
airelings of England.
This bright August day, two thou
sand men are On It's summit in public
meeting assembled, all good men and
true, educating themselves for the Oh.
ward MARCH of Irish freedom. As DR..
Campion SANG
Two Thousand men for Ireland on splendid
Slievenanon,
Two, ;bousaue! voices asking Heaven how Ire
land may be Wosl-
Won from the sickening thraldoln, from the SER
pent's thickening coil
The lying of each slavcring tongue ITS trail
r.pon the soil,
iAl,, nue. where are these line young
men TO- day? Chas. Kickham Ned Coyne,
Of Callan. John O'Cavanagh, Of Car
rick-on-Suir; these, and many more,
are in Jheir graves. Captain Finnerty
is editing the Chicago Irish Citizen,
Peter Gill is drumming out !andlordisn
in the Tipperary Advocate, aud Mi
chaeI Heifernan is doing" SAe Irish
editorials for a New 7 ork paper.
With the Clonmel contingent there
appeared, for the first time, a very dis
tinguished recruit, and one WHO, in at
tel times, Ggured with notorious eclat
On the swearing table in tle Green
street court house. The chair was
taken by Charles J. Kjekkam, and
Fierce Nagle was elected secretary
thereto Both men met for the first
time (as l. believe), certainly no aus
picious destiny for either OF them. This
was my first Introduction to the poet of
Amer. When we next met our politi~
cal education was completed. Charles
Kickham undergoing a four. years
ssstretc}'' in nartmoor, and the present
writer more limited course Of thirteen
months in Kilmainlaam. This, be it
known, is your true British mode Of
''spreading the Light
And now R word or two to the young
reader of the present time as to Charles
J. kickham' S anteceuents.
In the little village Of Nullinahone:
about the era OF Catholic Emancipation,
Kickham first saw the light. Educated
in the homely schools Of the period,
Charles from his boyhood had eyinced
an eager desire for knowledge and
thorough love Of native literature.
With gun in hand aud some interesting
volume in his pocket. as he describes so
faithfully in "Sally Cavanayh, young
Kick}lam traversed the surrounding
country. from wild Glenavalla to lonely
Glanbower.' \ serious accident, how
ever, brought this pleasant mode Of re
creation to an end, and With sight aud
hearing much impaired, he retired more
into himself and became entirely de-
voted to reading and composition. Into
the old Tenant Right movement he
flung himself with the ardor OF Il de-
voted nature, and knowing the condi-
tion of the struggling peasantry, more
from personal contact than Government
statistics, his contributions attracted
considerable attention. But Kickham,
though Il sterling patriot to the hearts
core. had nothing of the professional
politician in his composition. He saw
too clearly that our uaskmasters meant |
to hold ireland by the sword, and that
the nest of governing officials at the |
Castle were the mere creatures of Eng
lish craftsmanship, and utterly devoid
of anything like real legislative power.
Without for once turning his back on
the cause of the people, Kickham held
aloof from the beaten track of stormy
agitation, to write pathetic ballads of
brown haired daughters of the Amer, ]